Never Alone

I can't believe it's been over a week since I posted!  We've been dealing with spring colds and I haven't been feeling terrific.  I think we're on the downhill slide, though.  Yay!

I have had some interesting conversations and experiences this week that really got my mental gears cranking.  As I have pondered over the many, many heartaches and pains and unexpected circumstances that we have to face in this life, I've been wondering.  How do any of us make it?  How did I make it through when my heart was breaking over the fact that I couldn't have a baby?  How did I survive the craziness and the roller coaster of emotions as we struggled through fertility treatments and the ups and downs of trying to adopt?  How did I come through watching my tiny son literally struggle for life for 8 1/2 weeks while trying to maintain a "normal" life at home for my two older children?  How did I make it when my barely 4-year-old daughter suffered a serious break to her leg and was in a cast from her hip to her toes and was on strict instructions to not walk or even try to stand for 6 weeks, while I had two baby boys under a year old and a husband who was often out of town on business?  Feel free to insert your own questions in here.  I know that some of you have struggled through similar situations and some of you have faced so much worse.  So, how do we keep going?

I'm going to venture an answer.  We make it because we are not alone.  We are never alone.  One of my favorite verses of scripture (which I have hanging above my piano in our living room) is "I will go before your face...I will be on your right hand and on your left..my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you...to bear you up."  Doctrine and Covenants 84:88  Not only do we have the power and comfort of Christ's love, we have angels around us, bearing us up.  I have come to believe in this verse in a very literal manner.  We all have ancestors and loved ones who have gone on before, and I believe that they can and do help and support and even "carry" us when the situations we face seem beyond our ability to bear.  Sometimes we might feel and appreciate their presence in the very midst of our trials, and other times we might feel alone; not recognizing the help and comfort we received until we can look back on the experience with the perspective that comes with time. 

So, when you find yourself (as we all will at some point or other) struggling just to keep your head above water.  Don't despair.  Try to find a glimmer of hope in the knowledge that there are angels by your side.  They can't necessarily pull you out of the water, but they won't let you drown.

The Little Things

Before I start, I want to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who has become a Follower of my blog.  Please keep sharing with your friends, and if you haven't already clicked the Follow button, please do!  It is really helpful to me as I am beginning to work with my publisher, Cedar Fort, on marketing for my book, Delivering Hope (which will now be released in February 2012 - we're all hoping this is the last change).  They want me to get as many followers as possible...my initial goal is a minimum of 200.  So, every follower helps!  Thanks for your support!

So, I just finished loading my dishwasher for the first time in two weeks.  It's been having some electrical problems (where's my father-in-law when I really need him?  Oh yeah, 10 hours away) and I've had the handyman out 3 times trying to fix it with some part or other.  He finally found the root of the problem today (a faulty wire running from the disposal to the dishwasher) and got it repaired.  Yay!  Now, I know that a dishwasher isn't a necessity.  We didn't have one growing up until I was around 11, and the first 3 places that my husband and I lived after we were married did not have dishwashers and we survived just fine.  That being said, I'm not ashamed to admit that over the last 9 years or so, I've gotten very accustomed to tossing everything into the 'magical' washer next to my sink and letting it do the dirty work.

But, for the past two weeks, I've been rolling up my sleeves (literally) and diving in with both hands.  My children have been fairly helpful with this new chore...sometimes they've been more 'help' than I really need because when they get finished, the entire counter, window, and floor are covered in hot sudsy water.  Oh well, it's kept everything nice and clean, and it hasn't really been that bad, thanks to paper plates.  Anyway, being without this little luxury for a few weeks has really made me appreciate all of the little things that I take for granted that make my life just that much easier.  Dishwasher, washing machine, furnace that I don't have to haul wood in for, water heater, running water, a dvd player that's built right into my trailblazer, redbox...you get the idea.

So, in a world where nothing goes the way we plan, and all too often we find ourselves frustrated over the small (and sometimes very large) roadblocks that we encounter, today I'm reserving a smile for my dishwasher.  I'm glad you're back!